As global markets increasingly demand lower-carbon products and more sustainable manufacturing practices, South African manufacturers have an opportunity to strengthen their competitiveness through decarbonisation. This is the message of the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), a programme of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), at Manufacturing Indaba 2026.
The NCPC showcased practical solutions that can support industry in this transition, primarily through energy and resource efficiency. The participation forms part of the work of the NCPC to drive the dtic’s industrial development strategy focused on “the 3Ds”: Decarbonisation, Digitalisation and Diversification, which aim to strengthen South Africa’s industrial competitiveness while positioning local manufacturers to access emerging trade and export opportunities.
“As industries across the world accelerate towards low-carbon production, manufacturers are increasingly required to demonstrate measurable climate change mitigation. Decarbonisation is no longer an environmental obligation, but a business imperative and competitive advantage that can unlock efficiencies, improve resilience and enhance access to international markets,
Programme Manager of the NCPC, Ndivhuho Raphulu.
Reducing embedded carbon in manufactured products is particularly challenging in South Africa, where energy sources are typically carbon-intensive. However, energy, materials and even water efficiency hold significant potential for meeting decarbonisation goals. In its international best-practice publication, NDC 3.0 Guidebook for Industrial Decarbonization the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) outlines five building blocks for industrial companies and sectors. The first two are materials efficiency and energy efficiency – interventions that lie at the core of the NCPC service to industry. The other three are low-carbon energy and feedstocks; electrification and process change; and carbon capture, utilisation and/or storage.
Manufacturing Indaba exhibition visitors had the opportunity to engage directly with NCPC specialists where the programme will share best practice on its work in resource efficiency, cleaner production, energy efficiency, circular economy and industrial sustainability.
NCPC Technical Manager, Kevin Cilliers, delivered two public presentations focusing on practical approaches to industrial decarbonisation. On day one of the conference at the Knowledge Hub, Cilliers presented “Industry decarbonisation as a competitive advantage for trade and export” exploring how manufacturers can leverage decarbonisation to strengthen competitiveness in an increasingly carbon-intensive economy.
He also presented at the Insight Hub on day two of the conference where his session, “Practical implementation of decarbonisation in industry,” provided practical insights into how manufacturers could identify opportunities, implement decarbonisation initiatives and realise both environmental and business benefits.
“South African manufacturers are operating in an environment where sustainability is becoming a key determinant of competitiveness,” says Cilliers. “Decarbonisation should not be viewed solely as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic investment that can reduce operating costs, improve resource efficiency and unlock new market opportunities.”
The NCPC has been helping industry improve energy efficiency since 2010 through training, energy management systems (ISO 50001) and energy systems optimisation implementation support.
This has enabled companies to reduce energy consumption, improve productivity and strengthen sustainability performance. As a result, over 9.5-million tons of CO2 equivalent in GHG mitigation have been achieved in the past 15 years.
The NCPC is a national programme that supports the transition of industry to a low carbon, circular and resource efficient economy. The NCPC is hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on behalf of the dtic.